News from "The Voice of Missouri Business"®

AIM President Ray McCarty speaks on unemployment benefits

Representative Scott Fitzpatrick proposed a bill to shorten Missouri’s unemployment benefits from 20 weeks to as few as 13 weeks, a term tied to the Missouri’s unemployment rate.

In addition to helping restore the state’s unemployment funds after the recession, the bill would also eliminate a loophole – double dipping by collecting a severance package and unemployment benefits.

“When we had really long periods of unemployment being paid, we had people who would frankly not take jobs because it was much easier to just sit on the couch and collect their unemployment,” said Ray McCarty during an interview with KTVI St. Louis.

The bill has passed the House and voted out of committee in the Senate.